Several hundred people, previously abducted by the jihadist group Boko Haram in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, have regained their freedom. This significant development was confirmed by both military officials and local sources.

Since 2009, a relentless jihadist insurgency, first led by Boko Haram and later by its rival, Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions across Africa’s most populous nation.

Mass abductions, often followed by ransom payments, are a recurring tactic employed by these Islamist factions. Samaila Kaigama, president of the Borno South Youth Alliance (BOSYA), stated that his organization successfully facilitated the release of 416 women and children who had been seized from Ngoshe.

Two infants deceased

“They were liberated on Saturday,” Kaigama informed journalists. Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Borno State, corroborated the liberation to reporters.

However, in a distinct communiqué issued later the same day, the military reported the liberation of 360 individuals, clarifying that their release was not directly by Boko Haram but rather through an